


Why (It) Wont (It) Burn

by GothMoth



Series: May's Phantastical Callings [33]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Accidents, Angst, Child Abandonment, Child Neglect, Childhood Trauma, Children, Cryptid Danny Fenton, Dark Danny Fenton, Gen, Ghost Hunger (Sorta), Haunted FentonWorks, Horror, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mental Instability, POV Outsider, Past Character Death, Scary FentonWorks, Younger Danny, Younger Jazz, ignorance is bliss, scary danny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24240631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothMoth/pseuds/GothMoth
Summary: FentonWorks is a place of horrible nightmares and two ignored children.
Series: May's Phantastical Callings [33]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1405315
Comments: 20
Kudos: 286





	Why (It) Wont (It) Burn

**Author's Note:**

> DannyMAy Day 17  
> & 18: Childhood and horror

FentonWorks was a place no one wanted to go. No one wanted to pass by. No one wanted to be near. No one want to see it. All the houses around effectively abandoned. 

Some whispered about trying to tear the place down or burn it to the ground. No one ever meant it though. Because that meant dealing with it. Dealing with what happened. Dealing with both the what’s and who’s inside. 

And no one wanted that even more. 

Everyone knew what had happened. Knew the what’s and who’s. Just because they knew doesn’t mean they had to deal with it. Had to even acknowledge it. Sure those two who’s, the little children, didn’t have a choice. But that wasn’t the town’s problem. 

Even if no child was to be left behind. Even if children were the future. Even if children were the ones that should always be protected. Even if children were innocent. And sweet. And cute. And special. Even if children were meant to be protected. 

That was supposed to be the parents' job. But theirs couldn’t manage that. Not before and certainly not now. Maybe. Everyone chooses to ignore that too. Whether or not the two parents stayed dead or not. No one knew what option would be better. 

Just like no one knew how those two children -so young at eight and ten now- had survived there for four years. How they still survived. All alone. Hopefully alone. The town knew they weren’t really alone, but that was better ignored. Because it would be better if they were alone. 

Everyone saw the what’s, the _things_ , that fly past windows. Or stick to the glass. Stick their claws, tongues, or eyes under the door. The things that rattle the doorknobs or shake the walls. The echoing snarls, growls, and shrieks. 

Everyone ignores when there are screams that don’t echo. Screams that are undoubted human. Undoubtedly small and tiny, from small and tiny bodies. No one talks about those screams. 

No one wants to. 

Why would they? It would mean acknowledging everything. 

The exploded portal. The things it released. The parents it took. And the children it left behind. 

The house kept the _things_ contained. Whether the building did that all on its own or the children had a hand in it, no one wanted to know. But it was more than enough to leave the building untouched and still standing. It was enough to simply pretend the children barely existed. 

No one was kind to them. No one helped them. But no one hurt them either. 

They could walk, crawl, or run through the Casper High halls all they wanted. Could take whatever cafeteria food they wanted, however much they wanted. They could go to the theatre without paying. Or take groceries right out the doors without ever so much as glancing at the checkout. 

The children were kept only in people’s subconscious memory and awareness as much as possible, after all. No one would _want_ to interact with them enough to get payment or grade homework anyways. 

But there’s somethings that just can’t be ignored. Jasmine, the responsible one. Always the one with groceries. Always the one patching up the twos wounds. Always the one speaking. So often comforting or encouraging or soothing the boy. An older sister, being an older sister. 

She wasn’t okay. 

There was a lot wrong with her now. 

She repeated herself so much. Muttered more than spoke. Shook and shake more often than not. Her cheeks absolutely were permanently tear-stained; and eyes always rimmed red. Skinny where she was once lean. Crispy stringy hair, that was once smooth and hydrated. If anyone dared or considered to ask a professional, they’d say she had lost bits of her mind. Had broken under hardship and torment. 

But no one wanted to think about that. No one wanted to know that. So no one asked, and no helped. 

Even if the town, on a deep level, were terrified the girl would end her life. 

Most terrified for selfish reasons. Maybe the children were all that held the _things_ in the house back. Some because they still cared on principle, children should never die. Others because of the other child. Because of Daniel. 

Daniel had become _wrong_ not even months after everything. After the house became intertwined with death and caused it. The only sounds he ever made matched the snarls and growls, merely lacking the echo. He didn’t know how to smile; only how to bare his teeth like a threat. Hands and fingers always held like claws. Hair black and slick, that seemingly dripped like oil but only at a glance. Bone skinny yet with sharp angular muscles clinging to the bone and underneath taught skin. Pale white skin, that seemed to crack and split to leak green sometimes. Intense blue eyes, sharp as ice and sparkling in a way that eyes just shouldn’t. 

He moved too fast. Stared too much. Stilled too often and for too long. He just wasn’t human enough. 

No one wanted Daniel left all alone. No one wanted to know or have to see, what would become of him. If he’d became even more _wrong_. 

But the thing everyone feared most was that maybe, just maybe, Daniel was more of a what now than a who. Was something that needed to be contained. Was the one _thing_ that house somehow couldn’t contain. 

Jasmine still treated him like a little brother. That was something. But considering her questionable mental state, it didn’t mean much. And half the time, the way she hugged him and clung to him, just felt creepy. Like an addict clutching to the drug destroying them. The way that Daniel seemed to not notice or care, didn’t help ease people’s clenching stomachs or grimaces. 

What most of them thought was the worst feeling was the intrusive thoughts urging them to raise that house to the ground _with_ all the what’s and both the who’s inside. Cleanse the town. 

Everyone could tell when someone’s intrusive thought became something closer to an actual desire. With how that person would stand and stare at the house. Maybe with a weapon or gas or a lighter or a bottle of hard liquor. 

No one ever actually tried. Never acted on it. Never fully meant it. Because...

Daniel _always_ knew. 

The wind would blow, the curtains inside the front window moving with the wind somehow. 

And the child would be there. He’d be staring. He’d always lock eyes with whoever. And whoever would lose their guts. 

It was like the boy was daring them to do it. To try it. Whether or not that was a plea or a threat, was another thing no one wanted to think about. 

So the house was left alone. The things inside ignored as best as they could be. The two unfortunate children an avoided staple of the town. And everyone hoping it stayed that way. 

The day they all had to deal with the fallout of that curs-ed place would be a truly terrible one. But maybe, just maybe, they’d never have to. Maybe those children’s childhood would be enough payment for whatever sin their parents committed at the cost of their lives. 

* * *

Course nothing can stay the same. Nothing can stay unchanged. And somethings really can’t be ignored. 

One of those echoing glowing things had shown up _outside of the house._

Everyone had screamed and ran. It was unbridled panic. Panic that had stilled and stared when the boy had suddenly been there too. 

Had stared and bared teeth at the glowing thing. Many could have sworn his eyes swirled with green, and white flames licked off his hair if you had looked at him right. 

And the thing had _shrieked_. Had fled. 

But wherever the thing went, Daniel was just somehow there. Why the green thing didn’t think to fly up, no one knows. At they certainly weren’t ever going to ask. 

Regardless, Daniel had eventually grabbed the thing. And...

He tore It to shreds. 

Ripped off chunks and scraps. 

The town -or much of it, having been attracted by gossip or the chaos- had watched the small child devour the thing. Devoured one of the things they were all terrified of.

Shoved bits in his mouth and squished it to splatter around his mouth and face with white teeth.

Curled his tongue around smaller bits while tearing big bits apart with bare fingers. 

Had left nothing but faintly glowing smears on the pavement, licking his lips all the while. 

The boy was a predator. 

And then he spoke with green stained teeth. 

“You, good bait”.

The girl had skipped up on shoes not quite the right size. Had wiped his face off with a too-white handkerchief.

“Where’re your manners. Manners. Manners. Manners. Where? Manners where? Messy Danny. Keep you clean. Clean only to be messy again”. 

The girl was a caretaker. 

He had stuck out his tongue, dripping glowing neon green, at her. Had left that tongue hanging out while glancing around at the crowd and showing all his teeth in a mockery of a grin. 

And they knew then. They weren’t letting that house stay standing. Weren’t letting the children live and do as they pleased. The children, Daniel, was letting _them_ stick around him and his house. 

**End**.

**Author's Note:**

> [Some Fuckin' Noice Art!](https://dannymayevent.tumblr.com/post/622202609555619840/congratulations-phantomphangphucker-for)


End file.
